Imperial Family
The Xing Dynasty "Nothing ever exists alone; everything possesses relation to everything else. Remember first this lesson above all others and you will never lose sight of the empire." Emperor Daichi Xing, 1652 S.V.' The first members of the Xing dynasty were Humans, who were blessed with the divine blood of Totoyima, the Emerald Dragon. The first Emperor Jun and Empress Momoko ruled from the Orchid Thrones. When they passed, the next Empress was the half-celestial Yuuka. Her divine blood allowed her to rule for two centuries before she was murdered by Allamian assassins, which sparked the feud with the Commonwealth which persists to this day. Following in her footsteps was the half-elven Emperor Ryuu, who died only a few decades after his rule began while fighting the Forsentine Empire. His mostly Human descendants likewise were regularly killed after a fairly short period of rule that rarely lasted more than twenty or thirty years. This dynamic changed a hundred years ago when Emperor Takuya was killed by the Red Dragon Kalfutos, which seemed to awaken Totoyima's blood. Almost every one of Takuya's descendants have been Aasimar, including the current Empress Kiyoko Xing. The rule of the Xing family has always been marked by wisdom and honor, in no small part due to the active influences of the Three Guardians, primarily Okemi Sawatoku. Neither the civilian populace nor any of the Great Clans will acknowledge a ruler who has not been given the Nine-Tailed Princess's blessing, which cuts down on interfamily drama and rivalries by a huge amount. No point in stabbing your sibling in the back if everyone you rely on to enforce your rule won't support you, after all. The real struggle for the Xings has never been keeping themselves strong, it's been keeping the empire from being destroyed or destroying itself. The Great Clans still bear rivalries with each other over slights and feuds from centuries ago, and without the Xing family to keep an eye on them, they would surely destroy each other. Kiyoko Xing, often referred to as the Hydra Empress, is both a treasured VIP and a bit of a mind-boggling mystery. While she is definitely an Aasimar, as can be witnessed by her partially green-scaled skin and sleek dragon-like tail, she has three heads which speak of a different sort of union that nobody's ever been able to pin down. Some think it's a random genetic mutation as a result of Totoyima's bloodline ultimately tracing back to Tiamat, others fear it may be a touch of some infernalism that somehow slipped into the family's genealogy, some think it has to do with the saturation of arcane power in the Xing bloodline, and still others suggest it may be a natural if unusual happenstance of more mundane genetic oddities. She is perfectly healthy and sound of minds- all three heads (generally referred to as Ki (left), Yo (center), and Ko (right) if one head is being addressed independent of the other) have different minds but similar personalities, and it is believed they share a simplistic magical link that allows their minds to share a limited connection for reaching internal concensus and handling bodily functions without issues. Despite this oddity, Kiyoko is considered a sterling example of the grace, wisdom, and refinement expected of Xing dynasts. She is mostly a quiet and contemplative sort, which is a bit unusual in a family where the women are generally the more aggressive and proactive members, but this is overlooked as she excels in the fields of diplomacy, etiquette, law, and magic- some wonder if having three heads doesn't give her extra advantages in those fields, as each head is theoretically capable of studying a subject independent of the others and sharing the information with the other two. Kiyoko prefers to leave that a mystery, the whole imperial court agrees that it adds to her charm, which is one of the most powerful political weapons she wields when dealing with issues both foreign and domestic. If nothing else, having those heads certainly adds challenge to her favorite hobby- karaoke. Much to her chagrin, Kiyoko is at all times attended to and protected by a small company of bodyguards hand picked by the most trusted advisors, the Dead Sun Ronin. The best, most skilled, and most loyal killers from every clan, who forsake all oaths to those clans and give themselves wholly to those who sit on the Orchid Throne. Their zeal in protecting the Empress is in part magical- the stylized Oni mask helmets they wear are enchanted with mind-altering effects that allow them to focus almost completely single-mindedly on protecting their charge. Kiyoko despises such measures, believing that they lessen the men and women that wear them, and whenever possible she tries to keep her Ronin from wearing them, regardless of how upset it makes her various ministers and advisors. Sapphire Dragon Clan ''"The wise dragon hides his claws in velvet." ''Bao Yu Sing, 1544 S.V. The Sapphire Dragons are one of the oldest clans, the first who capitulated and swore fealty to the Xing dynasty. This is particularly remarkable because they did so with no real dissention amongst their ranks nor efforts to remain independent through violent action. The Sapphire Dragons simply accepted that Totoyima, whom they consider something of a spiritual patron, had chosen the best people to lead the empire and fell into line. This was fortunate for the earlier Xing dynasts, because the focus of the clan is magic in all its forms- Arcane, Nature, Divine, Infernal, all of it. They are families of skilled and in many cases powerful mystics and seers, and serve the dynasty loyally. Such focus gives them great insight into the Otherside, the realms beyond Realspace, and the entities which lurk within them. The most prestigious members of the clan invariably end up joining the dynast's advisory board. Those who live under the banner of the Sapphire Dragon Clan likewise tend to study and focus on the mystical as well, which has.. Varying levels of practical effectiveness. Magineering, magical enhancement of crops and livestock, and similar venues are popular but don't always work out too well due to the fickle and sensitive nature of Magic. The current daimyo of the Clan is a halfling sorcereress known as Seven Suns Rising Bones- the Clan has in recent centuries developed a fondness for taking on poetic names descriptive of their magical specialties- who is in the unenviable position of management. While it is an honorable and necessary position, it is one that few desire, to be the daimyo is to give up one's freedom to study, learn, and develop greater magical powers or work on progressing the various fields of Magic in general. But the daimyo accepts her responsibilities and performs them adequately if not vigorously, and ensures that the lands under her clan's dominion are properly tended, taxes collected, and battle-magi ready for the next conflict. Lunar Wren Clan ''"The machine has all the same rhythms as life does- the Mechanoids are proof of this- if one knows how to tell the differences in pitch and tone, then even a farmer can be a master of engineering." ''Fen Lin, 1789 S.V. Magic is a powerful tool, but one that takes lifetimes to master. The Art of Machinery, though, almost as potent and doesn't take nearly as long to figure out- and with sufficient advancement, can be superior to Magic in many ways. The Lunar Wrens have always understood this and dedicated themselves to that Art, always focusing on the machines and how to make them better. Granted, the laws of physics themselves have changed and things that used to work don't work or work completely differently, but that's not an obstacle- that's a challenge. Unfortunately, it's a challenge that tends to cause a lot of explosions, and that has not earned the Lunar Wren a lot of friends. What it has earned them is a lot of disgruntled nominal allies who don't often trust what comes out of their workshops until they've seen a half dozen Wrens successfully use whatever new or modified devices they've developed without it blowing up or killing anyone. Despite such setbacks they are still the foremost experts on technologies of virtually all forms within Ryengo, and people tend to defer to them first, even the Clans who don't trust them as far as they can throw them. The current daimyo of the Lunar Wren Clan is a draconid magineer by the name of Fang Meng, diminuitive even by draconid standards but his word carries weight as though he were ten feet tall. Fang is the foremost expert in the whole of the empire regarding siege engines- tanks, mechs, battleship cannons, airship guns, spacecraft 'pults, he's spent his whole life studying them and thinking of ways to make them better at smashing large heavy things and breaking enemy fortifications. Though such expertise has cost him several fingers, a foot, and an eye, this is seen less as a loss and more as a badge of honor, at least amongst heavy weapons enthusiasts. It is often joked in such publications as Ordnance Monthly that the countless explosions he's survived have qualified him for nomination as the patron saint of demolitionists. For his part, Fang prefers to be left alone. At the end of the day, he doesn't mind talking to people or giving interviews or holding courts, but whenever possible he is eager to be in the workshop with his assistants and clansmen, dreaming up newer, better, and bigger guns. Celestial Beaver Clan ''"Walls of stone might slow infantry and tanks, but they will not stop rockets and mortar. Better to have walls made of men and women, armed to the teeth, and loyal to your cause. I would sooner run across a field naked than hide in one of those deathtraps you call 'castles'." ''Kenta Yang, 1808 S.V. It's not hard to find civil engineers, it's a popular profession in the modern age- everyone needs as many as they can get to continue rebuilding. But for the Celestial Beavers, simply building up to a lost standard is not good enough. They seek to build new things that won't be so easily destroyed as during the Wars, things that will withstand the test of time and prevent the losses that the empire suffered before. To accomplish this, the Clan has focused on mobile technologies of all sorts. It was the Celestial Beavers which developed the technologies and designs for many kinds of large, multipurpose vehicles- like the kind that most tribes of nomadic Centauri favor, which can be used to fill industrial needs while running off of multiple fuel sources and can be stationary or mobile as needs demand. Such developments are expensive but those who make them swear by them. It's not too hard to tell which lands are dominated by the Beavers as a result- the only permanent fixtures or structures are those that they have yet to figure out how to mobilize. Everything else can, at a moment's notice, be packed up and ready to move out to safer grounds in the event of attack by unfriendly powers. The daimyo of the Celestial Beavers for almost two centuries now has been the old dwarf Kenta Yang. Kenta looks like a very cross and- by Ryengan standards- intimidating sort, but he's actually a very outgoing and personable individual. Such an attitude is necessary as his daily routines take him across dozens if not hundreds of different workshops to oversee and handle various administrative duties. It is not often that the daimyo has free time to himself to pursue his own projects, but as he ages it becomes increasingly apparent that he only has a matter of years left in the management business before a new daimyo will need to be appointed. Until that time though, Yang at least presents himself as someone who enjoys his work and tries to be amiable, and is renowned for his Dwarven diligence in accomplishing tasks efficiently. Spending over a hundred years trying to improve relations with the other clans, particularly the Beaver's rivals in the Lunar Wrens, has helped that public image a lot as well. Dreaming Butterfly Clan "Against the wicked things that threaten our home, we base our defenses on the knowledge that a single strong mind can safeguard the many." Natsumi Lu, 1719 S.V. The Dreaming Butterflies often come across as imperceptible sorts- with good reason, of course. The first Butterflies learned the secrets of psychic training from the Kelthid, but they do not follow the traditional approach to unlocking the powers of the mind. The Butterflies accomplish their psychic mastery through years of hard meditation and specially built chambers that touch the Astral and Ethereal Planes, which they claim is a far less strenuous approach to power than the standard methods of brutal training practiced by the shuljen. With this psychic prowess, the Butterflies act in tandem with the Sapphire Dragons as advisors, but they're also known to turn out no small number of warriors and ninja to add to the Imperial Army's ranks. Most people- even the ones who live under their dominion- are wary of the Butterflies, though. First and foremost is because of how 'off' most of them seem, like they're seeing the galaxy through different eyes, speaking in strange phrases or cryptic euphemisms. Another big reason is how the higher ranking clansmen seem to know things that they shouldn't, how they appear in places without warning and offer subtle threats, and not just in their own lands. Crime is low in Dreaming Butterfly lands, and not just because of the efforts of the Onyx Vultures. The daimyo of the Dreaming Butterflies is a Kelthid, who simply goes by Lin, as her real name is difficult to pronounce for non-Illithid. Most of Ryengo's couple hundred thousand Kelthid live under the Butterflies' banner, and though people are wary of them they are generally tolerated and accepted for their efforts to avoiding eating brains.. Until war comes and they're eating the brains of the enemy, in which case their value and popularity tends to skyrocket. Lin herself has sworn to never eat the mind of any living thing, indeed she doesn't eat anything at all- she sustains herself solely through some unknown manner of psychic rejuvenation which few people have figured out how to do on their own. This rejuvenation also allows her to be awake at almost all hours, which she usually spends in meditation when she is not in administration. Of all the daimyos, Lin is the one with the closest personal relationship to Empress Kiyoko. Lin helped to raise Kiyoko at the request of her parents, doing a great deal of study and helping the young princess to learn to live with her unusual biological quirk and how to make it work in her favor. While this has caused some level of emnity and rivalry between Lin and Seven Suns Rising Bones, but it has not escalated further as the Empress has explicitly forbidden the two clans from entering a conflict of any sort with each other. Scarlet Wolf Clan ''"Regard your soldiers as you would your own children, and they will follow you into the darkest valleys. Treat them as you would your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death." ''Sun Tzu, the Art of War. The Scarlet Wolves were one of the last of the Great Clans to join the Empire. Though they acknowledged Totoyima's decision to give the Xing family the right to rule, they nonetheless challenged the burgeoning empire to test their will and mettle themselves. It was a vicious and bloody conflict, which the Vultures and Beavers have not fully forgiven them for, but ultimately the Wolves surrendered and pledged their fealty. And not just any pledge, either- there is not a single warrior in the Clan who has not sworn a ritual blood oath to fight for and protect the Xing dynasty and Ryengo, a ritual that leaves their bodies scarred with supernatural runes and odd marks. Despite the wishes of many emperors and empresses, the Wolves teeter on the brink of fanaticism in their loyalty and zeal. Many who live in the Wolves' territories follow the doctrines of Napieo Hemne'p, even down to the poorest and most destitute citizens. As the specific focus of the Wolf Clan is in heavily trained infantry and dire wolf-mounted cavalry units, they incur fewer expenses than their military rivals in the Sapphire Dragons, Dreaming Butterflies, Sand Wasps, and Laughing Raven Clans- but that just means they can afford to train more people, and they generally do. If an individual is not an active member of the professional Okami Senshi Corps, the Rock Marines, or the Ryengo Reservists, then that individual will be part of the civilian Ashigaru militias. The level of martial preparedness common throughout Wolf territory makes them one of the less desirable targets in times of war. The current daimyo of the Scarlet Wolves is a human, Haruki Singh, who proudly wears the title of Wolf Lord within his clan's holdings. The Wolf Lord is a cleric who has dedicated his life to the doctrines of Little Brother Napieo, and spends very little time performing any administrative duties- such work is delegated to those who are unfit for combat, either through injury or accident. For a long time it was common for such unfit individuals to be looked down upon, even spat on, by the Ashigaru and rank and file Senshi. Under both the requests of Kiyoko and the tenets of his faith, Singh has spent much of his life working to put an end to such prejudices, believing that it stains the whole clan's honor. By appointing the militarily unfit to positions of administrative authority he provides them opportunity to prove their detractors wrong, and opens up time to personally study modern warfare and make adjustments to training regimens so that the Clan's armies will always be ready to handle any threat. Singh is a taciturn and stubborn man, who has no visible sense of humor; indeed he often seems to discourage humor, though that might be because the standard for comedy in the Scarlet Wolf Clan tends to lean toward black and even gallows humor, which he does not approve of. The only time anyone has ever seen him display public emotion is when conflicts arise against the Allamian Commonwealth- and then it is a terrible, near-rabid rage, as he lost his lover, all but one of his children, and his sisters to the Commonwealth when they launched a 'cowardly' sneak attack some twelve years back. It is said that, outside of his duties to the Clan, the only thing he lives for now is to protect and train his surviving daughter, who was rendered deaf and crippled. Ivory Spider Clan ''"The height of skill is not to win a battle in a contest of arms, but to achieve victory without the spilling of a single drop of blood." ''Yuzuki Ten-Min, 1588 S.V. The Ivory Spiders are one of the few Clans that joined the empire without battle- though they did force the First Xing Emperor and Empress to defeat them in a battle of wits and logic first. Though the dynasts did not win, they honored a promise not to wage war upon the clan for their failure to best them in games of words, thereby earning the Ivory Spiders' respect and causing them to swear fealty anyway. This is the hallmark of the Spider clan; they are not pacifists by any means, but it is their preference to win battles with what they refer to as High and Low Honor. Ostensibly they prefer to rely on High Honor, using etiquette and diplomatic methods to achieve mutual understandings and cooperation and put an end to a conflict before they can begin. But if necessary, they are far from above using Low Honor- threats, blackmail, clandestine operations, assassinations, the whole nine yards of cloak and dagger warfare- to achieve the ends needed to protect Ryengo and its people. Such methods are occasionally derided by the other Clans- the Scarlet Wolves and Sand Wasps in particular consider the Spiders' Low Honor distasteful- but it is rare that their detractors engage in an open conflict with them. The Clan did not choose the Spider for its banner simply for poetic symbolism, there are few who wish to be on the receiving end of Low Honor operations. The Clan's diplomatic focus has, as one might expect, made them the natural choice for the Xing dynasts to use as ambassadors when dealing with other nations. The current daimyo of the Ivory Spiders is a half-elf by the name of Zan Dra'skel, who is supposedly descended of the legendary warrior Adam Nelthal'os. Zan is not much of a warrior as his supposed ancestor, but he endeavors to embody that legends ideals of honor, loyalty, and selflessness. This occasionally leads him to be short-sighted when dealing with larger issues, but he is usually able to rely on his shadowy council of advisors, known as the Brood Mothers, to help him get past his near-obsessions with living up to a dead man's image. Zan is a person that most people are leery of as a leader, as he is- by Half-Elf standards- barely more than a child, who was only given the reigns of power because those who should have been successors to the previous daimyo- Quan Hun- were (unprovably) murdered by Narweiran saboteurs. Were it not for the Brood Mothers, he would doubtless be considered all but completely irrelevant, even by his own Clan. Starlight Seahorse Clan ''"A ship- whether airship, submarine, or common surface floater- is a world unto itself. To be captain aboard a ship is to be as a God in that world, and requires as much skill at leadership as any monarch, president, or imperial." ''Chen Fu-Yin, 1370 S.V. Though much of Ryengo resides on the skylands, it is necessary that they possess a significant naval presence as well. Uwibami's seas hide many dangers, some of them arguably more terrible than the Airstream. Only the Starlight Seahorse Clan has focused on those seas enough to possess the knowledge and skill to protect the terrestrial holdings of the empire, and to combat the horrors that lurk beneath the waves. Aboleth, sahuagin, megalodon, hydras, and turtle dragons are just a few of the things that the Seahorses deal with on a frighteningly regular basis. They are only the Clan that does not widely follow the Neo-Shintoist path, many take to following Poseidon and other aquatic gods from other pantheons, believing that patronage from such powers is a safer bet- especially given that gods like Poseidon dedicate themselves to fighting back the sea's hidden terrors. This makes them stand out as an oddity in Ryengo, but it's an oddity that people have little choice but to tolerate, as the Seahorses completely dominate the oceanic territories that the empire claims. They have a reputation for being something of a rowdy and undisciplined breed, but that's due to the civilian watercraft which ply the seas- the Clan's warships are filled with professional sailors and marines that are wont to take whips to those who lack discipline, especially if it's behavior which could jeopardize the ship. The daimyo of the Starlight Seahorses is an old human referred to as Admiral Tsubame Nintan. Tsubame has spent all of her life on or under the seas, and has no desire to know any other world than this. For a hundred years she's served the empire faithfully, though following the faith of Poseidon has seen to it that she has few friends amongst most of the other Clans, who consider her deviation from the social norm a mark of untrustworthiness- Poseidon is a chaotic god, after all. Tsubame has never had trouble ignoring such distrust, because even with that present the other Clans know to listen when she speaks, for when the admiral reports trouble it tends to mean that all life on the surface is threatened. It used to be that she pursued her passion with an unquenchable fire and a laugh on her lips, almost like some sort of pirate- a persona that instilled morale in her men and fear in her enemies. But as she grows older and so few of her mates have survived the passing of years, she grows tired, the fire has not yet burned out but is more of a smoulder. The Empress has requested on several occasions that she retire and spend her remaining years at peace in the capital skyland of Sengan, but the admiral has refused all such requests, citing that she cannot retire until she finds a suitable replacement, which will take at least another ten or twenty years. Until that time she pushes herself a little harder every year to keep up with younger crews. Laughing Raven Clan ''"You have not truly seen a tree until you have seen its shadow from the skies." ''Kwan Zu, the Steel Tengu, 1443 S.V. After the end of the Wars, it did not seem like flight would be possible for centuries, not after all the devastation was done. But the people who would go on to be the founders of the Laughing Ravens, who could find no room on the ground to support them, figured it out only a few decades after the end. Great balloons and simple airships with gliders and parachutes, though crude, gave them the basic tools needed to become a major air power. They are the first, and only, faction which ever successfully survived and prospered in the skies without the use of or reliance upon a skyland. Though the empire fought them into submission and earned their loyalty, they still have no small amount of pride in their heritage- flight is in their blood, a part of their very identity. Even though they have only a few lands to call their own, it's not uncommon for Raven Clan pilots to boast and walk about as though their clan held twice the assets of every other clan combined. Most perceive this as a form of arrogance and to some extent this is true, but part of it is disdain as well- the Ravens have a special bond with the skies, or so they claim, and furthermore claim that few amongst their counterparts know how to respect the skies and the spirits that dwell in them as the Ravens do, which is the largest source of friction between the Ravens and other clans. Unlike other clans, the daimyo of the Ravens is chosen through contest- a series of aerial challenges of speed, skill, trickery. Whoever is best in all three areas will be granted the mantle of the Steel Tengu. The last winner was a human by the name of Tsukiku Fen, who is considered by her clan a prime example of embodiment of the karasu-tengu, who are considered important sky-spirits that hold great value to the Ravens. She is often proud and arrogant, but has learned through many defeats and losses when to be humble and bow her head. She is thought of as a harbinger of war, the first to call for battle, especially when the people she is charged with protecting are in danger. And she is more than a little mischievous, prone to trolling people both to teach them lessons and to amuse herself. Other clans often find her annoying at best and dangerous at worst, but the Ravens adore her. Solemn Sparrow Clan "Faith might be able to move mountains, but the humble man will only ask that it carry his soul." Jinshu Hayuba Wong, from the Book of Common Wisdom, 1589 S.V. There are few places in the universe where faith is not important. But for a long time, during Ryengo's reconstruction, faith was disorganized and in danger of becoming horribly fractured. Hundreds of sects each with their own views and ideologies sprang up, sometimes influenced by demons or enemies, sometimes by trickster spirits or mistranslations from other languages, and sometimes just because people didn't know. In some cases these potential divisions were harmless, but in a lot they threatened to start holy wars (or at least feuds which could last for gods only know how long). To combat this, those priests and priestesses closest to the Emerald Gate formed their own clan to oversee and protect the faith of the empire. From this were the Solemn Sparrows born. It was a long and difficult struggle to reestablish the pure and untainted Neo-Shintoist faith, but the Sparrows did not falter in their faith and duty, and for the most part, succeeded. Almost all matters of faith and spirituality within the empire are left to the Sparrows' care these days. Because of this they have no lands to call their own- they must be everywhere, they cannot afford to be sedentery and centralized- but in exchange for that they wield considerable influence and power (at least with regards to faith) within everyone else's territories. Though referred to as a daimyo by technicalities, the leader of the Sparrows- a human in his late 90s, Ken Sengata- prefers to be thought of as a priest rather than a politician, citing that it leaves him feeling less dirty. The popular image of Old Ken is a grandfatherly figure with infinite patience and friendliness to spare, which is mostly true as he is a devout follower of the Nine-Tailed Princess. His patience is very long indeed, but it is far from infinite, and once it runs out he becomes a very mean and cranky old man with a penchant for whacking people over the head with his walking stick. Other than this he is renowned for his poetic sense of humor and keeping up with the times, always following the latest trends and developments in culture and staying abreast of political and social events. His job is not a very difficult one, compared to other Clans, even in the event of priests and priestesses going rogue- there are people who handle more Inquisition-like facets of the Sparrows in his stead, he is more a public figurehead than anything else. Onyx Vulture Clan ''"The law exists to protect us, and as it protects us we must protect it." ''Shen Lu, 1427 S.V. As the nascent dynasty worked to rebuild the empire, it swiftly realized that policing themselves would be difficult. The Great Clans could not be trusted to police themselves at all- they would always favor their own over anyone else. Civilians who were not part of the Clans could likewise not handle the job, as the likelihood of intimidation by the Clans would be too much of a risk. It was eventually proposed that a clan be formed just for the purpose of police-work. Such a force would answer only to the dynasty, and be beholden to no one else- not the military, not the people, and not the clans. This was the birth of the Onyx Vultures, formed shortly after the last of the clans had capitulated and sworn fealty to the Orchid Throne. The Vultures, as with a couple other clans, have no territories of their own- they are omnipresent throughout everyone else's domains however, ever-watchful and waiting to strike down injustices. No clan can say that they hold sway over the Vultures- to do so would invite the wrath of the dynasty and no small number of common folk- and only the Imperial Court itself can dictate what they are and are not allowed to do in the pursuit of justice and keeping the peace. The daimyo of the Onyx Vultures is a young dwarvish mage, Ning Sato, who generally prefers to be called Chief. Chief Sato is considered the ideal leader for the Vultures; she has trained abroad under police chiefs and inspectors from several allied nations, and during that training has developed a very strict no-nonsense attitude. In turn, Chief Sato tries to teach a similar attitude to her subordinates and create a chain effect through Ryengo's social moors. The high physical, educational, and psychological requirements she has placed on membership to the Clan have greatly reduced the Onyx Vultures' size, but increased the potency and cut down on corruption within the Vultures as a whole. As the Chief is only in her 60s though, she is expected to- over the course of a century or so- slowly but surely build up a sizeable force of some of the most skilled police forces in Charybdis. Sand Wasp Clan '"Our song lays the foundations upon which the empire shall be rebuilt." Aiko Seng, 1310 S.V. The Wasps were one of the last clans to submit to the Xing dynasty's rule, and one of the most difficult to force into submission. As per their poetically symbolic name, they fight and work as a hive of aggressive insects. They rarely think in terms of the individual life- which, while necessary, has a price on it which the group can and will pay if it is necessary. Though the loss of an individual is tragic, that individual's sacrifice makes it possible for the rest of the group to survive, and the group honors that lost life by continuing to build, fight, develop, and prosper. It is the only proper thing to do. There is a fine balance between individuality and groupthink within the Wasp Clan, and it's often difficult for outsiders- even other Clans- to tell where that line is. With regards to the rest of the empire, the Wasps are mostly just there to fill whatever role their counterparts do not or can not. If there is a shortage of civil engineers, then the Wasp Clan provides civil engineers and sends them to pick up the slack. Where the Scarlet Wolves focus on infantry and cavalry, the Wasps provide armor, artillery, and supply support. If the Seahorses are lacking in marines or low-altitude aerial recon, the Wasps provide these things. And if the Laughing Ravens need fueling stations and airstrips, the Wasps build them. Such focus makes them valuable, providing a metaphorical mortar for the bricks that the other Clans offer, but leaves them vulnerable to disruption as they have no specific defenses to call their own. If trouble arises in Wasp-controlled lands, they must be defended by whatever happens to be laying around at the moment. They must also request a higher percentage of funds from the imperial coffers, as covering for their fellow clans' weaknesses is by no means an inexpensive endeavor. The daimyo of the Sand Wasps (often referred to as the 'queen', either jokingly or insultingly) is a middle-aged draconid by the name of Atsuko Matsumoto. Lady Atsuko is one of those draconids who is affected by her race's genetic flaw of inherent obsessive-compulsive tendencies- she's at her happiest when managing the Clan, balancing budgets and handling paperwork and making sure that everything is neat, orderly, and accounted for. Under such circumstances she is a very affable and pleasant woman, possessed of perfect (or close enough to count) manners and near regal bearing. This only changes when events within her control deviate from the courses that she has planned for and predicted; in this event, she becomes very agitated, short of temper, and even vulgar. She apologizes when things have been returned to normal, of course (it would be impolite not to do so,) but until then she is almost impossible to deal with or be around, which in turn disrupts the efficient operations of the Wasp Clan. Silk Adder Clan ''"Yes, I'm well aware that there are political matters at hand. I am however a doctor first and a politician second- now get out of my way or become one of my patients." ''Jun Chin, 1776 S.V. One of the most valued but least renowned clans in the empire, the Silk Adders have the unenviable purpose of handling all the messiest, nastiest, and arguably most dangerous jobs in the empire. All issues that fall under the purviews of the Physician, the Chemist, and Hazmat are their domains. The Adders live in a dangerous world that their counterparts are grateful for, as they often lack the insights, resources, or facilities necessary to actually handle all of those issues. The Adders do not have lands to call their own, as with the Vultures, but they have a much welcomed presence in everyone else's territories. Virtually every hospital, apothecarium, pharmaceutical producer, chemlab, and waste disposal facility in Ryengo is under Adder control. They're the only ones who really relish doing the job, and most everyone is happy to leave them to their medicines and toxins. They are the first ones to be sought when pretty much any sort of medical problem arises, whether it's a minor staph infection or a plague that threatens whole towns or a poisonous substance spill that could taint an entire skyland's waters. This importance gives the Adders a powerful voice in the Imperial Courts; when Adders speak, everyone listens. The daimyo (or 'chief surgeon' as he prefers) of the Silk Adders is Jun Chin-Tien, a rather old Mechanoid who recently inherited the position of daimyo from his old friend Jun Chin. Taking on his friend's name, at least in part, as a matter of honor, Chin-Tien is not used to being in a position of leadership; were it not for his experience and skill in the operating room he wouldn't have even been considered for the post. But his age and experiences in all the fields that the Adders cover made him the most qualified for the job, and understanding that his actions would affect many lives, he accepted the position despite his reservations, and has proven a most capable leader of men and women. His political skills leave much to be desired, and he often speaks very bluntly without much thought to matters of etiquette or respect; this has not made him close friends with any of his fellow Clan leaders, but his candidness in providing reports, advice, or suggestions, as well as his near obsessive zeal in providing thorough and effective medical care has made him a voice that nobody in the Imperial Court dares ignore. Ryengo Empire Back to Main Page